


The Birthday Party

by FemslashUniverse



Series: Birthday Desires [2]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Chuckles is back, F/F, Femslash, Fluff, Lesbians in Space, Older Woman/Younger Woman, Requited Love, Space Wives, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:07:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22487653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FemslashUniverse/pseuds/FemslashUniverse
Summary: The party is at Sandrine’s, but she can cry if she wants to (in Cargo Bay 2).
Relationships: Kathryn Janeway/Seven of Nine
Series: Birthday Desires [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1617955
Comments: 4
Kudos: 43





	The Birthday Party

**Author's Note:**

> I thought I was done but the story said otherwise. There will probably be a part 3, too.

“What did you get her for her birthday?”

Seven’s full attention snapped to Tom’s question across the mess hall. She stood by the counter, half turned toward the group on the far side— Tom, Chakotay, B’Elanna and Harry. While she normally cursed her enhanced hearing while on board and in such close confines to others, there were times when it came in handy.

“Well what are we supposed to get her?” Harry asked in earnest.

B’Elanna chimed in with usual fire, “Hell if I know.”

“What did _you_ get her?” Tom asked.

Seven glanced at them, especially curious to hear Chakotay’s answer.

“It’s… it’s kind of personal.”

“Ohhh,” Tom teased. “A confession of love?”

Seven’s muscles grew tense and stiff at the comment—it was a jest, wasn’t it?

“Hit him for me, why don’t ya?”

“Happily!” B’Elanna and Harry both whacked Tom, sitting on either side of him. He winced and rubbed the spot where B’Elanna had hit him, much harder than Harry. She turned back to the off-duty First Officer. “Really though, what did you get her?”

Chakotay shook his head, obviously embarrassed. “You guys remember our... incident with the Vidiian’s?”

B’Elanna nodded knowingly, “The planet. You and the Captain, all alone, on a planet for a few months…”

“Now who’s being a little shit?” Tom asked. Another whack across his shoulder.

“While we were there, we had a little vegetable garden that we worked on.”

“Awe,” B’Elanna chimed.

“There was a rock I had put down as a marker, but during an electrical storm it was struck and it burst into a bunch of pieces. Before we left, I took two pieces of it with me.”

Harry and B’Elanna watched with loving eyes, understanding the depth the pieces held for their First Officer. Tom was less impressed by the romantic gesture.

“I want to give her back a piece…” he shook his head again. “I don’t know what it means exactly,” that was a lie, he knew, and so did Seven. “I just want her to remember it, like I do, and maybe it’ll make her feel better when she’s down.”

B’Elanna touched the sleeve of Chakotay’s uniform. “It’s very sweet.”

Harry nodded reassuringly.

Tom shrugged. “I think I’ll give her the whiskey I bought on Villa 5.”

Seven turned back to the counter, her eyes fixed on a smudge of green paste.

“You okay?” Neelix asked jovially.

She nodded once and quickly left the mess hall.

* * *

_Hours Later_

She detested the feeling that swirled around inside her stomach, an anxiety she couldn’t seem to logic her way out of, infuriatingly so as she stepped into the turbo. She’d relinquished her biosuit and wore plain dark slacks and a plain dark blouse. And under her arm was the small, flat, wrapped present. It was only brown parchment, but she was proud of her success anyway—wrapping had been harder than she expected, though it could’ve been due to her distracted mind.

She’d spent so long trying to figure out what to give the Captain, and when she had her brilliant idea it felt like everything came together perfectly. But now, standing in the lift and about to join the party on the holodeck for the Captain, doubt began to eat away at her.

It didn’t help that Chakotay’s words rang through her mind like the sound of a shrill klaxon. She recognized the longing in his voice, the way his heart beat raised as he thought of the Captain, and there was that dumb planet they spent time on alone together. He had shared _something_ with Kathryn, that was obvious, and they were close. Was it merely just a matter of him reminding the Captain of their time there? Would Kathryn remember some moment she shared with him and realize she loved him all along?

Would her own brief encounter with Kathryn be their only encounter?

Her stomach turned in knots, sure to choke her if it rose to her throat.

She begged her mind give her solace but unwanted thoughts plagued her. Did the Captain think of _him_ while they kissed? Did the Captain wish it were _his_ tongue in her mouth? Was she just deluding herself that she and Kathryn could be companions?

She let out an exasperated sigh and leaned back against the turbolift wall. Dejection was a new emotion, one she didn’t much care for in the least. What if her brief encounter was really, definitively, absolutely the last time she would ever be that close to Kathryn again?

Her next thought scared her and thrilled her _—I love her._ Terrifying... _I love her._ Her heart beat began to calm so she rested her head against the wall and closed her eyes. _I. Love. Her. I love her. I love how stubborn and incensed she makes me feel. I love her scent, her smile, her taste, her heart. I want to travel the stars with her forever, for the rest of our lives, for as long as she’ll have me—_

The turbolift doors opened and Tuvok stood on the other side. He eyed Seven suspiciously as he stepped in. “Are you unwell, Seven?”

She quickly stood at attention, ramrod straight, serious-faced. “I am not well—I am _not_ _unwell_ ,” she corrected quickly.

They stood beside each other, both carrying a gift. “You are going to the Captain’s party?”

 _Am I not supposed to? Is this inappropriate?_ “I believe everyone is invited.”

Tuvok eyed her and then looked straight ahead once again, “Of course. You have expressed that you would like to be treated more like a human. Humans tend to make small talk on any occasion they can.”

Seven deflated a little, closing her eyes at her own damn embarrassment. She cleared her throat and answered robotically to cover her stupidity. “Of course.”

On the holodeck, Sandrine’s was alive and busy. Seven was grateful that she was able to walk in with someone, especially Tuvok who seemed to be more of her own world. The room was a glow of oranges, warm and festive. A few holocharacters milled about, chatting with the crew, while she counted only a group of ten real crew members present. _Staggered shifts,_ Seven noted to herself. The Captain would be trapped in Sandrine’s all day, and possibly late through the evening.

It perplexed her that the crew would be so selfish to inconvenience their Captain just to congratulate her on her birth. But seeing Kathryn’s face from across the room melted away everything else. She was laughing as a group of crewmen surrounded her, engaging with their fearless leader as close to comrades as they could be.

Thoughts began to take over her mind, visions of their interaction in the early morning. Kathryn’s lips, her moans, the way her body moved against Seven’s. It sent an irrepressible quiver through her.

“There is the Captain,” Tuvok said beside her.

Seven quickly came back to her senses and found the Captain glancing at her across the room. She followed Tuvok toward the group, her gift tight in her fingers, desperate to hold onto something.

“Hi!” Kathryn smiled at Tuvok and wrapped her arms around him, knowing full well her dearest friend wouldn’t reciprocate.

“Happy, Birth-day.” He handed her the gift in his hand and she smiled as she took it.

“Thank you!”

Tuvok stepped aside and quietly joined the group while Kathryn eyed Seven. She took a step away from the crowd to stand closer to the tall blonde.

“Hello,” She said softly.

Seven nodded once. “Congratulations on your birth.”

Kathryn tried to hold back a smile and Seven could feel her cheeks and ears run red. She could still taste her Captain on her lips. _Focus._

“This is for you,” Seven held out the gift, suddenly wanting to take it back before the Captain put her hands on it.

“Thank you, Seven.”

“I hope you enjoy your party,” the blonde nodded and turned away.

“You can’t leave!” Kathryn beamed, her long fingers gripping her elbow to prevent Seven from escape.

She turned back knowing full well how beautiful Kathryn was when she smiled. It left her breathless and lightweight.

“You look very nice,” Kathryn released her grip and flicked her eyes over Seven.

She briefly shut her eyes and opened them again with a conviction to ignore her feelings, no matter how the Captain elicited desire with her subtle, knowing eyes.

“Won’t you stay?” Kathryn nearly pouted—a cheapshot that she hoped would convince Seven.

“I am not accustomed to small talk or _birthday parties_ , as Tuvok has explained of these interactions.”

Kathryn leaned in, “I’ll tell you a secret…”

The knots tightened, twine pulling tight in every part of her.

“No one is.”

Her senses were assaulted by Kathryn’s scent, by the closeness of her slate eyes, by her Captain’s heartbeat and her own, by Kathryn’s wonderful lips just waiting to be nibbled and embraced. She had no choice in the matter. “I will stay,” she whispered.

Kathryn tried to hold back a big smile, “Thank you, Sev.”

She pulled her by the arm and released her as they re-joined the group. It wasn’t until Seven stood by Kathryn and glanced around her that she noticed Chakotay sitting in a chair, his eyes focused on her intensely, his expression serious with flicks of anger in his eyes.

What had he seen? Could he see it on her face? How could he know what happened that morning? Her stomach turned in knots once again as she sat uncomfortably at the table with other crewmen.

As time slowly went on, Seven found herself lost in thought, if not staring at Kathryn who stood chatting with Tom and B’Elanna. She could hear every word they said, but she wasn’t listening. _I am in love with her._ It pulled at her soul, picked at her being. She wanted to be with the Captain in every way. She wanted to love her and argue with her, hold her and kiss her. She wanted to go on adventures and sleep beside her at night. This was bad, and it was also good. It was a good-bad feeling—one that was as confusing as it was clear.

Just as she pined for Kathryn, she wondered if Chakotay was doing the same, but when she glanced at him she found he was watching her again, his eyes slightly squinting. It made her uncomfortable. She looked down at her hands and then up at her Captain, this time finding her Captain’s eyes locked with Chakotay’s. She watched as the two shared small smiles with each other across the room, no one else privy to their secret exchange besides herself. Seven looked at her hands again, feeling a horrible, wretched thing moving up through her body. _Sorrow._ It was sorrow.

She glanced at Chakotay, already about to lose what mask she wore and found him smug, confident. He flicked his eyes at Seven and then turned to chat with the other crewmen beside him.

It was too much to bare.

She rose abruptly, startling two crewmen sitting on either side of her. She eyed her gift to the Captain in a pile on the table and quickly gathered it. She didn’t look up or back to see if Kathryn noticed. She just needed to breathe, to get out, to get to her quarters so she could explode alone. Better alone than in the collective.

* * *

Kathryn walked through the Cargo Bay 2 doors efficiently. She looked around the room finding it quiet and unoccupied. “Computer, locate Seven of Nine.”

“Seven of Nine is in her quarters.”

Kathryn eyed the area again. It wasn’t unlike Seven to bypass the computer so she could hide her location, but she’d never actively mislead her local. Kathryn put her fingers to her chin, her other hand to her waist. Where could that sneaky, lithe blonde have hidden herself?

As she quieted herself she caught a small sound in the room. She strained to hear but found it came from behind a steel storage rack with containers. She made her way over to it.

“Seven?” The sound grew as she neared and she looked behind the first rack. There was Seven, at the end of the aisle, with her face to the corner. Kathryn realized the sounds were sobs.

“Seven?” Kathryn called again as she walked toward her quickly. She stood behind and placed her hand gently on her back. “Are you okay? What happened? Are you injured? Seven?”

Seven tried to choke down her sobs and turned around slowly. Her eyes were red, streaks of water down her cheeks.

“Yes, Captain?” She asked as coolley as she could muster, trying to secure her emotionless mask and failing at it.

Kathryn tilted her head, her eyebrows raising together. “What’s wrong?” She put her hands on her biceps, holding her steadily.

She quickly looked down as she felt the sobs trying to erupt through her.

Kathryn stepped closer. “What happened?”

“You…” Seven stopped, the corners of her mouth pulled downwards as she fought herself. “You are in love with Chakotay.”

Kathryn scrunched her face, utterly confused, but her hands still tightly secured on her biceps. “What are you talking about?”

“You and Chakotay are in love with each other.”

Kathryn let out a deep breath. She ran her fingers gently up the bicep and along Seven’s shoulder, across her neck and down to her chin. She gently raised the blonde’s head just as she had done that morning.

She waited until Seven met her eyes. Gulping, Kathryn continued, “I’m in love... with you, Seven.” She smiled widely as the blonde looked back and forth into her eyes.

“But Chakotay—“

Kathryn lunged forward and pressed her lips to Seven’s. She wrapped her arms around her neck as the blonde opened to her, sliding her own hands around Kathryn’s waist, her fingers pressing into her flesh. Seven’s mind was a blank as Kathryn’s lips fit luxuriously with hers, soft, and tongue fierce. The feeling deep inside her grew, a pulsing that required more. She instinctively let her hands run up Kathryn’s back and smoothly ran one around to her front. One palm pressed against her breast and the other holding her in place. The sound their lips made was like wildfire, igniting her senses and bringing a different kind of knot to her stomach. She turned her head further to kiss her deeper, wanting nothing more than to devour her. She would not release her captive from this place. More. As Kathryn moaned against her, she felt her body secrete a fluid between her legs, just as she had read might happen—but the research did not accurately explain the sensation.

She pulled her lips away and moved them to Kathryn’s ear while the redhead panted in her arms. “I wish to make love to you,” she breathed.

Kathryn let out a low growl mixed with a laugh. It made Seven’s body react, more moisture and pulsating, sensations that promised to undo her.

“I wish for that too,” Kathryn whispered back and then lightly grazed her partner’s earlobe with her teeth.

Seven shuddered but she knew there was more to be said, and she had a fair guess at what it was. “You must return to your party.”

Kathryn let out a sigh and rested her head on Seven’s shoulder, her nose tickling her neck. “I’m sorry, darling.”

Seven was surprised by the term of endearment and the effect it had on her—a jolt of yearning shot through her. “You do not need to apologize. I am well-aware of your duties as Captain.”

Kathryn shut her eyes tight, “I don’t want to leave.” She tightened her hold on Seven, cuddling into her body. “We fit so perfectly together,” she said softly.

Seven ached for the moment to last a lifetime, but she knew there was only one way that would happen—if she helped her Captain, if she kept her strong when the Captain couldn’t do it herself. It was what Kathryn needed of her most. Seven rested her head against Kathryn’s for a moment then pulled herself away.

Kathryn looked terribly sad, her fingers clasped tightly to Seven’s exoskeletal one. The blonde smirked and kissed her palm gently, enjoying the dance they played. “I wish to see you this evening, after you are able to leave your party, if you will permit me.”

Kathryn beamed once again. “Will I get to open my gift then?” She eyed it on the steel rack beside them.

Seven nodded, “Yes, Kathryn.”

She grew shy standing before her, “I like when you say my first name.”

Seven quickly moved to her and placed her hands on Kathryn’s cheeks. She pulled her into a grand kiss, savoring it as the greatest flavor in the universe before releasing the redhead, to find her starry eyed and dazed.

“ _Jesus_.”

Seven tilted her head, “Why do you call upon an archaic deity?”

Kathryn bit her bottom lip and watched her with heavy eyes. “It’s just a colloquialism for when something hits you powerfully.”

Seven smiled, happy with herself and the effect she had on Kathryn. “I wish to be in a relationship with you... Only you, and only me.”

Kathryn gleamed, “It’s only ever been you, Sev.” She ran her thumb along Seven’s hand and kissed her exoskeletal fingers.

“You must return to your party now, before they come looking for you.”

Kathryn nodded and released her hand gently. “I’ll comm you when I’m finished this evening?”

Seven dipped her head.

“Should I open my gift now?”

Seven eyed her, knowing full well what she was trying to bluff her way into getting her gift sooner.

“Gonna make me wait, I see. You be careful, darling, two can play that game.” She winked. “See you tonight.”


End file.
